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A History of the Beer Industry in the Agassiz Area of British Columbia

For 60 years, hops - a basic ingredient in beer - was the major industry in the Agassiz area of British Columbia. At the height of the business, 300 acres of a total holding of 450 acres were planted with hops. Hops were harvested from August to Early October every year and during that time Agassiz prospered. With the arrival of a thousand pickers, the town's normal population swelled to 1,500 and business flourished.

The Decline of the Hops Industry

The Famous Fraser River flood of 1948 annihilated the hop fields, and the industry rapidly declined. In 1952, the hop yards moved to the Creston Valley. The fertile soil that had for 60 years nourished a bounty of hops was planted with corn and hay as dairy farms began to prosper in the Agassiz area. From its humble beginnings to its dramatic decline, this exhibition recounts not only the history of the hops industry in this region, but of the people and the community who were part of it.